For the purposes of the present invention, the term organopolysiloxanes also encompasses oligomeric siloxanes.
The preparation of organopolysiloxanes by equilibration and/or condensation reactions in the presence of oxygen-containing phosphazenes is already known and described, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 5,380,902 (Wacker-Chemie GmbH; published on Jan. 10, 1995). U.S. Pat. No. 5,403,909 (General Electric Co.; published on Apr. 4, 1995) and the corresponding DE-A 44 23 924 describe the reaction product of an oxygen-containing phosphazene catalyst with a compound containing at least one active proton having a pKa of less than 18, for example a primary or secondary alcohol, but this generally leads to elimination of hydrogen chloride, dark discoloration, precipitates and a decrease in activity.